There is a review of Eliot Katz’s new book, The Poetry and Politics of Allen Ginsberg, in the latest issue of Rain Taxi.

”Katz’s analysis is readable and enjoyable while offering a scholarly view of Ginsberg’s most influential poems, including “Howl,” which appropriately gets a full chapter here. Katz is able to explicate the originality with which Ginsberg converted his political views into poetry, making them resonate powerfully to his audiences.

Previous biographies and books about Ginsberg’s life and work have appeared, but The Poetry and Politics of Allen Ginsberg is the first that explicitly analyzes Ginsberg’s political poetry and dissects his progressive influence on our culture. Katz’s book is a lively read regarding the poet of poets who shaped the political views of a generation.”